Minnesota Senate passes bill banning hidden "junk fees"
Consumer Reports found that hidden fees cost a typical family nearly $3,300 every year. That includes those extra charges that get tacked on to everything from car rentals to hotel rooms.
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Consumer Reports found that hidden fees cost a typical family nearly $3,300 every year. That includes those extra charges that get tacked on to everything from car rentals to hotel rooms.
Business owners and advocates warned state lawmakers on Tuesday that Minnesota's recreational cannabis laws needs big updates if the state wants to start growing and selling marijuana flowers by 2025.
Embattled Minnesota state Sen. Nicole Mitchell will be removed from her committee assignments and caucus meetings while burglary allegations against her play out in both a Senate and legal investigation, the Senate majority leader announced Sunday.
A transcript from a 911 call is providing more details surrounding the arrest of Minnesota State Sen. Nicole Mitchell, who stands accused of burglary.
A Minnesota state senator now faces charges in connection to a burglary at a Detroit Lakes home earlier this week.
Concerns grow about not having enough cannabis supply to meet legal market demand without a headstart on the cultivation of plants.
The Minnesota House on Thursday approved legislation making changes to the state's new law legalizing cannabis for recreational use, including a pre-approval process for businesses to get a head start as regulators plan for market launch next year and contentious revisions to how those licenses will be issued.
Emergency medical services providers say they need a lifeline from the state legislature this session to the tune of $120 million to keep answering calls for help, especially in rural parts of Minnesota.
Ambulance services say they need a lifeline from lawmakers this session to shore up services, especially for people who need their help in rural parts of Minnesota.
A key lawmaker backing legislation mandating new regulations for rideshare operations in Minnesota said Tuesday that stakeholders are "very close" to an agreement on wages for drivers — a sticking point in negotiations.
![BRUCE BISPING • bbisping@startribune.com Shakopee, MN., Friday, 5/15/2009] The first live race at Canterbury Park bolted from the starting line as the Minnesota horse racing season started.](https://assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2024/04/09/e569af12-fac0-4179-a37d-62d114d46853/thumbnail/640x360/2fff975d8924c6a113040428bacfbce3/gettyimages-1155665212.jpg#)
Minnesota's two horse racing tracks say they got a lifeline when state regulators authorized a new game — historic horse racing — last week. But Democrats moved quickly Monday to advance legislation blocking the games right out of the gate.
State regulators recently approved a new game for play at horse racing tracks. And it's stirring up controversy at the state capitol. As Caroline Cummings reports, a bill would give them a run for their money.
According to St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, the city spent more than $1 million on repairing and restoring gutted lamps and traffic signals in the last year. It's part of the reason lawmakers are pushing to make it illegal to sell copper without a state-issued license.
State lawmakers say dark streets are shining a spotlight on a growing issue. St. Paul says the sharp rise in copper wire theft cost more than a million dollars last year, and the city says it not alone. As our Beret Leone explains, legislators believe they've come up with a solution to stop would-be thieves.
Monday is a big day for St. Paul's city leaders. They're heading to the capitol to support a new bill to stop a public safety issue costing the city millions of dollars: copper wire theft.
At the state capitol, Democrats are backing a bill that would set rideshare rules, including minimum pay of $1.39 per mile and $0.49 per minute, according to the Senate DFL plan.
Minnesota Democrats are considering launching a basic income pilot program that would send $500 monthly payments to low-income families — no strings attached.
Marijuana is legal for recreational use in Minnesota, but just how the state will roll out the new legal market by next year's target date is up for debate.
At the capitol today, a slate of bills designed to boost access to health care services, like physical therapy and speech-language pathology, by authorizing compacts with other states.
Disability advocates are calling on Minnesota lawmakers to act as they push for what they say is equality for all. Hundreds of advocates rallied at the State Capitol rotunda calling for legislation, but also celebrating a day of unity. WCCO's Adam Duxter shares what they are asking from lawmakers.
People living with disabilities and advocates alike are gathering at the state capitol to ask for concrete policy changes during this legislative session.
Gov. Tim Walz traded in the typical State House Chamber for a High School Auditorium to tout his party's big wins for this year's State of the State address. Caroline Cummings has the highlights from Owatonna.
Minnesota medical cannabis patients would be able to grow up to 16 plants at home under a bill in the state legislature — double the amount allowed for adults under the new law legalizing marijuana for recreational use.
Minnesota is going green with legal recreational marijuana sales on track for next year. But in the meantime, lawmakers are pitching tweaks to the medical cannabis program. Caroline Cummings reports.
It's illegal to purchase a gun for someone else who is not allowed to have one, known as a straw purchase. But state lawmakers say Minnesota's laws aren't strong enough to enforce, and penalties should increase.
The monthslong Immigration and Customs Enforcement surge in Minnesota has sparked ongoing protests, some measured tens of thousands of demonstrators, others just a few dozen.
Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid and Atlanta Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye were ejected Monday night after an altercation early in the fourth quarter of Minnesota's 138-116 win.
Anthony Edwards scored 21 of his 30 points in the first half as the Minnesota Timberwolves used a dominant second quarter to cruise to a 138-116 win against the short-handed Atlanta Hawks.
A question for applicants wishing to fill vacancies in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota is sparking concerns from some attorneys who are concerned that politics is getting in the way of a once apolitical job.
Two Philadelphia-based men accused of traveling to Minneapolis after a friend told them the taxpayer-funded programs there presented "a good opportunity to make money," pleaded guilty to wire fraud on Monday.
A 20-year-old Minneapolis man on Monday pleaded guilty to fatally shooting a man in the Elliot Park neighborhood last summer.
A judge sentenced a man to nearly three years in prison for straw purchasing dozens of guns, some of which were tied to criminal activity across the Twin Cities, including the killings of two young girls in 2021.
The Minnetonka Skipperettes finished in a top-three spot in jazz, earning a ticket to the state tournament for the first time since 2005, after a 21-year absence.
Teenage brothers born in Minneapolis and now living in Chicago documented federal immigration agents in both cities for months.
The Minneapolis Fire Department says the pop-up nature of the blockades makes emergency response especially difficult.
January is typically a slow month at Frontiersman Sports, but employees at the St. Louis Park, Minnesota, gun shop said sales spiked 30% above normal for the month.
The daughter of a Minnesota gubernatorial candidate was killed Friday in an apparent attempted murder-suicide involving her husband.
Two Republican candidates in the 2026 Minnesota gubernatorial race have dropped out: one for a heartbreaking reason, while the other is entering a different race.
People describing themselves as constitutional observers tell WCCO that in the past week, reports of ICE agents disguising themselves have flooded in from the Twin Cities Metro and rural areas of the state.
Last month, congressional Republicans moved closer to lifting a 20-year ban on mining near Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, pushing a resolution to end the moratorium through the House.
Three people are dead after a house fire in a small western Wisconsin town early Saturday.
John Lauritsen shares the story behind a massive snow sculpture that's now become a winter destination.
A jury has found a Wisconsin man guilty of forging threats against President Donald Trump in an attempt to get a witness against him deported.
Minnesota and Wisconsin are among the 11 states reporting their first measles cases of 2026.
Hundreds of schools in Minnesota and Wisconsin have closed or shifted to virtual learning on Friday amid dangerous cold.
The ongoing presence of ICE and federal law enforcement in the Minneapolis area has kept many immigrants at home for fear of being arrested. Now, their neighbors are crowdsourcing to cover their rent.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations aren't only happening in the Twin Cities. Federal agents are also working in smaller towns, and in some, seeing similar resistance from the community.
While Operation Metro Surge continues in the Twin Cities, Minnesota's farm country is also feeling the impact. The major concerns for farmers and the trickle-down effect it could have on consumers.
Minnesota's governor spoke out Sunday afternoon following the shooting death of Alex Pretti by federal immigration enforcement agents. "What's the plan, Donald Trump? What is the plan?" Walz said. "Fear, violence and chaos is what you wanted from us, and you clearly underestimated the people of this state and nation."
A marching protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minneapolis Friday afternoon happened as a widespread work stoppage across Minnesota, as organizers called for a day of no work, no school and no shopping.
The monthslong Immigration and Customs Enforcement surge in Minnesota has sparked ongoing protests, some measured tens of thousands of demonstrators, others just a few dozen.
A Mexican immigrant working in Minnesota says federal officers arrested and beat him. Court documents detail a laundry list of head injuries that hospital workers called life-threatening, including eight skull fractures and five brain bleeds. Ashley Grams is learning more from those documents.
A question for applicants wishing to fill vacancies in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota is sparking concerns from some attorneys who are concerned that politics is getting in the way of a once apolitical job.
Teenage brothers born in Minneapolis and now living in Chicago documented federal immigration agents in both cities for months.
January is typically a slow month at Frontiersman Sports, but employees at the St. Louis Park, Minnesota, gun shop said sales spiked 30% above normal for the month.
January is typically a slow month at Frontiersman Sports, but employees at the St. Louis Park, Minnesota, gun shop said sales spiked 30% above normal for the month.
Amid ongoing immigration operations in Minnesota, a local company is filling a desperate need for on-demand legal help.
Outside the governor's mansion in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Friday, demonstrators, including many students and teachers, pleaded for Gov. Tim Walz to enact an immediate eviction moratorium to help families impacted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement surge.
It's part of broader protests calling on the Minneapolis-based retailer to respond more directly to immigration enforcement.
While Operation Metro Surge continues in the Twin Cities, Minnesota's farm country is also feeling the impact. The major concerns for farmers and the trickle-down effect it could have on consumers.
Two Philadelphia-based men accused of traveling to Minneapolis after a friend told them the taxpayer-funded programs there presented "a good opportunity to make money," pleaded guilty to wire fraud on Monday.
A 20-year-old Minneapolis man on Monday pleaded guilty to fatally shooting a man in the Elliot Park neighborhood last summer.
A judge sentenced a man to nearly three years in prison for straw purchasing dozens of guns, some of which were tied to criminal activity across the Twin Cities, including the killings of two young girls in 2021.
Teenage brothers born in Minneapolis and now living in Chicago documented federal immigration agents in both cities for months.
January is typically a slow month at Frontiersman Sports, but employees at the St. Louis Park, Minnesota, gun shop said sales spiked 30% above normal for the month.
Public health officials say a measles crisis has long been brewing in Minnesota.
Patients in Minnesota are canceling appointments and deferring critical health care needs because of fear of immigration enforcement as the federal crackdown continues, doctors say.
Children's Minnesota announced Tuesday it plans to pause some gender-affirming care for children amid "threats" from the federal government.
Nurses in Minneapolis doubted federal immigration officers' claims about a Mexican immigrant's severe injuries.
Minnesota and Wisconsin are among the 11 states reporting their first measles cases of 2026.
Bad Bunny says he wants to bring his culture to his 2026 Super Bowl halftime show Sunday.
Renowned comedian Dave Chappelle is set to return to the Twin Cities later this month to perform and "show a stand with a community at the center of events that should unite all Americans," show organizers said Monday.
Complete closure of the performing arts center in Washington, D.C., will start on July 4, Mr. Trump said. It's not yet clear how extensive the changes to the building might be.
Music's biggest night returned Sunday with the 68th annual Grammy Awards. Here is how to watch and stream and what to know.
In 1971, Demond Wilson appeared on an episode of "All in the Family," a role that led him to land a lead part in "Sanford and Son."
Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid and Atlanta Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye were ejected Monday night after an altercation early in the fourth quarter of Minnesota's 138-116 win.
Anthony Edwards scored 21 of his 30 points in the first half as the Minnesota Timberwolves used a dominant second quarter to cruise to a 138-116 win against the short-handed Atlanta Hawks.
In a surprising move to some, the Wild have two goaltenders playing in the Milano Cortina Winter Games: Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt, who is in his first full NHL season.
The Minnetonka Skipperettes finished in a top-three spot in jazz, earning a ticket to the state tournament for the first time since 2005, after a 21-year absence.
Some 2026 Winter Olympics athletes say their winning medals are falling apart, coming detached from their ribbons.
The Republican Party endorsing convention is in May, and Demuth has said that if she doesn't win the endorsement, she will drop out, but several candidates are expected to continue to the August primary.
In a crowded field, Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth had a very good caucus night; she won the straw poll by about 32%.
The state of Minnesota is vowing to continue the legal battle after it and 12 cities were denied a temporary restraining order that would have shut down Operation Metro Surge.
The state of Minnesota is vowing to continue the legal battle after it and 12 cities, including St Paul and Minneapolis, were denied a temporary restraining order that would have shut down Operation Metro Surge.
While Operation Metro Surge continues in the Twin Cities, Minnesota's farm country is also feeling the impact. The major concerns for farmers and the trickle-down effect it could have on consumers.
John Lauritsen shares the story behind a massive snow sculpture that's now become a winter destination.
Northland Arboretum was built half a century ago on top of what was once a city dump. But over time, nature carved its own path with a little help from a Zamboni.
St. James is a smaller town with a main street and a railroad running though. But inside a local building, the main street and the railroad are even smaller.
On Dec. 9, 1965, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" debuted on CBS, and it became an instant classic. Lee Jenkins' home is proof that the show is still a hit six decades later.
Holiday lights are on full display across the state right now, and just south of the Twin Cities you'll find a Christmas light show that's been around for more than half a century.
The monthslong Immigration and Customs Enforcement surge in Minnesota has sparked ongoing protests, some measured tens of thousands of demonstrators, others just a few dozen.
According to the Police Executive Research Firm, 82% of police departments in the United States equip officers with body cameras. That number comes from 2023, meaning it could be even higher by now.
With the new $2,600 stipend, DHS said the cost of a single self-deportation is $5,100. That's significantly less than the cost to arrest, detain and deport an undocumented immigrant, which DHS said costs more than $18,000.
It might be hard to believe, but it's gotten warmer outside over the past few days. The temperature is creeping above zero during the day, but the wind chill remains dangerously low. So, how is wind chill calculated?
Minnesota gun rights are in the spotlight after U.S. Border Patrol agents shot and killed a lawful gun carrier over the weekend.
Minnesotans got a great view of the northern lights Tuesday night.
A look at the newest addition to the polar bear population at St. Paul, Minnesota's Como Zoo.
From food shelves to school programs, our team is proud to serve where it matters most.
The Minnesota State Fair has unveiled its new food, drinks and vendors for 2025.
A suspect was taken into custody after an attack on Pearl Street Mall in Boulder on June 1 in which there were 15 people and a dog who were victims. The suspect threw Molotov cocktails that burned some of the victims, who were part of a march for Israeli hostages.
WCCO meteorologist Lisa Meadows says above-average temperatures will continue through the entire week.
In Minnesota, weather can be all over the place. Here at WCCO, we want to give you what you need to prepare for what's happening next.
WCCO meteorologist Lisa Meadows says tomorrow will be breezy with a high in the mid-30s.
Light rain and snow will fall north of the metro Monday evening, says NEXT Weather meteorologist Lisa Meadows.
Tomorrow will be breezy with a high in the mid-30s, but warmer highs look to be moving in again by next weekend, WCCO meteorologist Mike Augustyniak reports.
Chinese New Year is almost here and a local brewery wants you to join in on their celebration of the year of the horse. Reg Chapman and Adam Del Rosso are joined by Margaret Wong and Tim Naumann to learn more about this Lunar New Year festival
February is Black History Month and St. Paul Public Libraries is celebrating with a special event. Jenaya Myvett and Derek Francis talk more about it on WCCO Saturday Morning.
WCCO meteorologist Lisa Meadows says above-average temperatures will continue through the entire week.
The ICE surge in Minnesota has sparked ongoing protests. Some draw tens of thousands of demonstrators, others just a few dozen. The Trump administration claims money motivates critics to hit the streets. In Good Question, Jeff Wagner investigates if there's any truth behind the assertion that protesters get paid.
Target says it's going to add more staff to its stores because shoppers have reported sloppier shelves, longer checkout lines, and items out of stock.